How profitable is Tobacco Farming?

Huge paddy lands have been targeted for farming tobacco in Lalmonirhat for this season. Farmers are farming tobacco instead of paddy and other crops after getting seeds, fertilizers and interest loan facilities from the tobacco companies in the district. A good numbers of tobacco farmers from different villages have gathered together in Lalmonirhat town, and went out on the town roads demanding alternative crops instead of tobacco farming in order to save their land's fertility, their health and environment, and they also made strong protest against the tobacco companies as they (farmers) are always encouraged towards farming tobacco on their paddy lands. Agitated tobacco farmers also demonstrated for several hours over the same issue at the town's Mission Intersection.

In the demonstration rally, tobacco farmers claimed that it is true that tobacco farming isn't profitable but farmers show their high interest due to easy marketing and attractive offers from tobacco companies. If farmers get facility for alternative farming besides tobacco, and tobacco companies stop their illegal practices to encourage farmers in the field level, the tobacco farming in this region might drop to at least 80 percent very soon.

Officials in Agriculture Extension Department AED in Lalmonirhat said, a total of 23 thousand acres of land were cultivated for tobacco farming at five upazilas in Lalmonirhat in the last year, and the quantity of lands for tobacco farming has increased this year. The agriculture department always record only 35 to 40 percent of the total tobacco farming land in order to avoid high official's notice, said an AED official in Lalmonirhat who wishes to remain anonymous.

Nesar Uddin, 58, a tobacco farmer from Mahendranagar village in Lalmonirhat sadar upazila said that tobacco farming is harmful for health, soil and environment. “We understand the harmful effects of tobacco, but we are bound to farm it instead of other crops as there isn't any alternative farming other than tobacco, and the tobacco companies encourage us with different lucrative offers,” he said. “If I get an opportunity to farm alternate crops, then I won't ever farm tobacco again and I will also try to raise awareness against tobacco farming,” he added.

Nur Hossain, 52, a tobacco farmer from Sarpukur village of Aditmari upazila said, “I earn Taka 24 to 30 thousand from farming tobacco on one bigha (27 decimals) of land by spending Taka 8 to 10 thousand. But me and four other members of my family invest our labour daily for three months,” he said adding that the earning actually comes from their hard labour.

“If our estimates are correct, then wages earned from tobacco farming doesn't make it really profitable,” said tobacco grower Madhuram Das, 58, from Haziganj village of Aditmari upazila. “If we invest the same kind of labour to farming paddy or other crops instead of tobacco, we will earn a lot better but we need that alternative option,” he said.

A local schoolteacher, also a farmer at Kakina village of Kaliganj upazila said that the tobacco companies are gradually occupying lands used for producing food grains and other crops by luring the farmers into more profit, and the companies are making profit for years through the government's subsidized fertilizers and irrigation facilities. “Realizing the disastrous impacts of tobacco farming, we the farmers started growing other crops on our lands,” he added.

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“Eight bighas of my land have been losing their fertility as I have been farming tobacco on these for the last few years for the lucrative offers from tobacco companies. If I didn't get these lucrative offers, I would never be farming tobacco,” said farmer Altaf Hossain, 46, from Bhadai village of Aditmari upazila.

Jahedul Islam, 50, a tobacco farmer from Barabari village in Lalmonirhat sadar said that he doesn't get expected output of paddy and other crops from his five bighas of land because the soil is losing its fertility due to tobacco farming. “Primarily we understand that tobacco farming gives us profit, but its harmful effects are permanent,” he said praying to govt. to take proper steps against increasing tobacco farming.

“If the govt. doesn't take proper initiatives for stopping the increasing amount of tobacco farming and malpractices by tobacco companies immediately, it could lead to total domination of tobacco farming in this region,” said tobacco farmer Aminur Rahman, 42, from Mahishkhocha village of Aditmari upazila.

Paresh Chandra Barmon, 55, a farmer from Sarpukur village of Aditmari upazila, said that tobacco farming has increased dramatically in the district because of the interventions by tobacco companies. “We are always encouraged towards tobacco farming with the incentive of getting attractive offers from the tobacco companies,” he said.

Safayet Hossain, Deputy Director DD in Agriculture Extension Department in Lalmonirhat, said that it isn't possible to decrease tobacco farming without offering alternative crops. Farmers now understand the harmful effects of tobacco farming, and this awareness can decrease tobacco farming.

Source:thedailystar,Published:January 21, 2015